Taking Crock pot cooking to the next level

If pinto beans, soups and stews are the only things you make in your slow cooker, it’s time to branch out with this versatile, time-saving appliance.

Nancy Abasiekong, Extension Agent of Family and Consumer Sciences for the N.C. Cooperative Extension Cleveland County Center, recently presented different ways to use the slow cooker in a six-session workshop for parents at the Cleveland County Schools Title I Parent Resource Center at Graham School.

“We planned six sessions to give participants enough time to prepare a wide variety of foods in the slow cooker and to better understand the many uses of this reliable small appliance,” Abasiekong said. “I wanted to help families learn more about nutrition, plan and prepare more healthy meals at home, and identify ways their children could be more involved in healthy eating.”

While Abasiekong covered the basics – pinto beans, pot roast and soup – she also showed parents how to cook some other dishes, like baked potatoes and desserts.

Parent Jodi Albinger said she had never thought about using her slow cooker to make desserts.

“I was surprised,” she said. “This gives me more ideas and builds my confidence about using the slow cooker.”

Because the focus of the class was healthy eating, Abasiekong chose an Apple Brown Betty recipe for the dessert lesson.

Albinger and the other parents peeled and chopped apples, measured the spices and cut up the whole wheat bread for the topping.

“Somebody is going to be a cook when we leave from here,” Mae Martin said, laughing as she helped the group measure the brown sugar.

The parents worked together to make the dessert during class, but sampled another one that was made before class.

“It’s very good,” Latorie Woods said. “I would definitely try to make it.”

GENERAL TIPS FOR THE SLOW COOKER

SLOW COOKER APPLE BROWN BETTY

4 cups ½ inch bread cubes (whole wheat bread)

6 Tbs. butter or margarine, melted

¾ cup brown sugar, packed

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. salt

4 cups chopped, peeled cooking apples

Mix the bread cubes, margarine, brown sugar and spices in a bowl.

Prepare slow cooker by lightly greasing or spraying with vegetable spray. Alternate layers of the bread mixture and apples in prepared slow cooker.

Cook, covered on High for 1½ to 2½ hours or until the apples are tender.

Fill the center of each apple or pear with mixture. Sprinkle tops of fruit with remaining cinnamon and dot tops with butter.

Place in slow cooker; pour ½ cup warm water around apples.

Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or High 3-4 hours, or until tender.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until tender.

Yield: 5-8 servings

Source: Variation of recipe from Purdue University Cooperative Extension

SLOW COOKER PEACH COBBLER

¾ cup biscuit mix

1/3 cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar, packed

¾ cup evaporated milk

2 tsp. butter, melted

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 to 2 ½ cups peeled sliced peaches, fresh or frozen, thawed

¾ tsp. cinnamon

Spray with cooking spray or lightly butter a slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine sugars and baking mix.

Add eggs and vanilla; stir to blend. Pour in butter and milk, and stir. Fold in peaches and cinnamon (until well mixed). Pour batter into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Serve warm with ice cream.

Yield: 4-6 servings.

Source: K-State Research and Extension, Lyon County 2012 – Slow Cooker Recipes, “Fix It and Forget It Cookbook” by Phyllis Pellman Good

MINISTER’S DELIGHT

1 can (21 ounces) cherry or apple pie filling

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix

½ cup butter or margarine, melted

1/3 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Prepare slow cooker by spraying lightly with cooking spray.

Place pie filling in slow cooker. Combine dry cake mix and butter (mixture will be crumbly); sprinkle over pie filling. Sprinkle with walnuts, if desired.

Cook ground beef with chopped onion; drain grease. Add to large slow cooker. Then add other ingredients (including liquid from vegetables) to the meat mixture in the slow cooker. Stir well. Simmer in slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Place carrots in slow cooker. Heat butter, salt, sugar, cinnamon and water together in small pan. Pour mixture over carrots in slow cooker. Mix together gently but well. Cover. Cook on Low 3 to 3 ½ hours or until carrots are tender.

Source: K-State Research and Extension, Lyon County, Kansas State University Cooperative Extension Service

GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

2 pounds baking potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 Tbs. butter, sliced

¾ tsp. garlic powder

1 cup milk

¼ cup water

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

Combine all ingredients, except milk in slow cooker. Toss to combine. Cover. Cook on Low 7 hours or on High 4 hours. Add milk to potatoes during last 30 minutes of cooking time. Mash potatoes with potato masher or electric mixer until fairly smooth.

Source: K-State Research and Extension, Lyon County, Kansas State University Cooperative Extension Service